Summer is Unofficially Over

School is back in session at Warwick, just in time to get ready for Halloween. Every year, the discussion is rehashed — is it better to start school before or after Labor Day? It’s a colorful debate, but a moot one at that as the traditional return is part of our teachers’ contract.

More important, for some, is that football has finally returned. Temple toppled Penn State, which has prompted the Pope to visit Philadelphia, which has prompted Joey Welz to write a tribute song. The Eagles are poised for a Super Bowl run, based on Sam Bradford’s outstanding preseason, according to a few fans. Warwick had a rough season opener against its rival to the west, but will rebound this week. I may have picked Garden Spot in our Thursday Evening QB, but considering I was 4-5 on picks last week, my prognostication is a good sign for the Warriors. And fantasy football fanatics are excited about Thursday night’s start to the NFL season, unless they drafted Jimmy Garoppolo. Is baseball still the national pastime? If you’d like a little local football nostalgia to get your gridiron juices flowing, read about the legend of Ignacio Heintzelman, the boy who could hit a grazing goat from 30 yards at Frog Hollow back in the ‘30s. That story, by former Turmoiler Ike Kauffman

The first block of North Lane was shut down for repaving Wednesday. This once forgotten avenue has become one of the busiest roads in Lititz. The popularity of Tomato Pie Cafe, last year’s addition of JoBoy’s in the Rudy Building, and the proximity of BB&T (Susquehanna) Bank has made the stretch between Broad and Cedar streets a major thoroughfare. Perhaps the prominence of this narrow street was predicted half a century ago when Mayor Arthur Griswold signed a law that elevated the negative connotation of “alleys” by renaming them “lanes” throughout the borough. Bowling centers soon followed suit in this early era of political correctness. However, the term “lane cat” never took hold, thus preserving the animated integrity of Hanna and Barbera’s “Butch” from the politically incorrect Tom and Jerry cartoon series.

With the kids back at school and new roads in the works, it’s time to be extra mindful when you’re behind the wheel. Traffic in Lititz can get pretty chaotic at times. Put a couple tractor trailers on East Main during rush hour, coupled with drivers who are glued to their phones and trying to navigate a breakfast sandwich while running late for work, and you’ve got a dangerous streetscape for our young scholars. Take a deep breath, acknowledge that your rush is exaggerated, and respect our unsung crossing guards.